Nightmare at Vasai-Virar: water, water everywhere

Heavy rains hit bus services, autorickshaws stay off the road

Slippery path: People walk in ankle-deep water on a street in Vasai-Virar area on Wednesday.

Residents of Vasai-Virar woke up to waterlogged roads due to heavy rain on Wednesday. Palghar district is likely to receive heavy rain at isolated places till July 26, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Commuters from the district faced major inconvenience as autorickshaw services were suspended and Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) bus services were affected. The bus frequency was reduced to one an hour as against one every 20 minutes on regular days, leading to overcrowding.

Schools declared a holiday as water levels kept rising in the wake of continuous heavy rainfall till late in the afternoon.

Jessel D’souza, a resident of Vasai (West), said travelling to work was a task as public transport was affected. “On my way to office, my bike stopped working. After waiting for the VVMC bus for over an hour, the bus finally arrived, but its front wheel got stuck in mud. People pushed the bus and it started, but only a few people managed to get in,” he said.

An hour later, a school bus that had dropped children back home after schools declared a holiday helped commuters reach their destinations. “Commuters had to change three buses to reach Vasai Road railway station from Vasai village,” Mr. D’souza said.

Nallasopara resident Prachiti Jadhav said every time it rains heavily, the routes leading to the railway station, on both the east and west sides, are waterlogged. “A street named Achole Road is particularly prone to damage due to waterlogging as the water enters small shops easily. Even today, water entered a Ganesh idol workshop and damaged the products. There is water above the knee level on every other street thanks to the reckless ‘development’ in the area,” she said.

An official from the Disaster Management Department of VVMC said no casualities were reported in the area. “The region is on high alert as more rainfall is expected. The Fire Brigade and disaster management team will make sure grievances are addressed on time. People should avoid stepping out of home so as to avoid accidents,” the official said.